Land Stewardship LIVE-WIRE, Nov. 22, 2004
Hello:
This is the 17th issue of "Land Stewardship LIVE-WIRE," the Land Stewardship Project's e-mail newsletter. We send this out periodically to provide an update on activities and information related to LSP's work. We hope you enjoy this service, and are looking for feedback. Please send your comments to Brian DeVore at bdevore@landstewardshipproject.org.
If you prefer not to receive this newsletter, please e-mail lspwbl@landstewardshipproject.org and write, "remove LIVE-WIRE" in the subject line.
IN THIS ISSUE
1) 5,000 Minnesotans Tell the Governor to Keep Local Control
2) 'Supper' Video Dec. 1
3) Earth Spirituality Meeting Dec. 4
4) Supreme Court to Consider Checkoff Dec. 8
5) Holiday Happenings Dec. 9 & 16
6) It's Meeting Season, so Check our Calendar
7) CSP: Tell Congress to Fully Fund it
8) 'Protect our Water' Legislative Meetings
9) Give the Gift of Stewardship
10) FLAG Job Opening
11) A Few Words on Local Food
12) Eat Well Guide
13) Worth Repeating
14) Worth Repeating II
15) Join LSP
1) 5,000 MINNESOTANS TELL THE GOVERNOR TO KEEP LOCAL CONTROL
Land Stewardship Project members from around Minnesota gathered at the Capitol on Nov. 17 to show their opposition to recommendations from Governor Tim Pawlenty to weaken the powers of township and county governments, as well as bedrock environmental protections. To drive the
point home, the citizens brought with them over 5,000 signatures on bright yellow postcards from Minnesotans who feel the same way. For details, including a link to a new advertising campaign LSP unveiled this week, visit
http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/04/newsr_041117.html. You can read the Star Tribune's account of the postcard delivery at http://www.startribune.com/stories/587/5092074.html. For more on the issue of local democracy and family farms, including a copy of the special
report, "Creating a Bright Future for Livestock Farmers in Minnesota," visit http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/04/newsr_041001.html.
2) 'SUPPER' VIDEO DEC. 1
The Environmental Action Team (EAT) of the First Congregational Church of Minnesota is presenting the video 'Deconstructing Supper' on Wednesday, Dec. 1. This film was reviewed in the July/August/September 2004 issue of the Land Stewardship Letter. This event is open to the public and will be held at 500 8th Avenue in Minneapolis. If you are planning on attending,
please RSVP Jo Anne Rohricht at 651-645-6043.
3) EARTH SPIRITUALITY MEETING DEC. 4
The Center for Earth Spirituality and Rural Ministry will be holding a meeting in St. Paul on Saturday, Dec. 4, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. The meeting will be at the Notre Dame Center, 1850 Mississippi River Blvd. For more information, call Jeanne Wingenter at 651-695-0570, or e-mail jwing1948@aol.com.
4) SUPREME COURT TO CONSIDER CHECKOFF DEC. 8
The future of the mandatory pork checkoff may now be in the hands of the highest court in the land. LSP members and independent hog farmers Jim Joens and Rich Smith are traveling to Washington, D.C., on Dec. 8 to hear oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court on the constitutionality of the mandatory beef checkoff. Smith and Joens will be joined by other members of the Campaign for Family
Farms (CFF). LSP is an active member of CFF, which is leading the national effort to end the mandatory pork checkoff. The court's decision on the beef checkoff, expected in early 2005, will probably determine the fate of the pork checkoff program. On Oct. 18, CFF, joined by 49 farm groups with members in all 50 states, filed an amici curiae (friend of the court) brief with the U.S. Supreme Court
asking the high court to uphold lower court decisions that found the mandatory beef checkoff unconstitutional. The CFF amici brief, as well as other documents related to the pork checkoff case, can be viewed at
http://www.flaginc.org/news/Checkoff/checkoff.htm. For more information, contact LSP's Policy Program at marks@landstewardshipproject.org or 612-722-6377.
5) HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS DEC. 9 & 16
On Dec. 9 LSP's Western Minnesota office in Montevideo (103 W. Nichols) will be hosting a holiday open house from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call 320-269-2105 or e-mail lspwest@landstewardshipproject.org.
On Dec. 16, it will be the turn of the White Bear Lake office (2200 4th Street) to celebrate the holidays. This event, which is also from 3 p.m.-6 p.m., will feature a showing of a video on Alice Waters. For more information, call 651-653-0618 or e-mail lspwbl@landstewardshipproject.org.
6) ITS MEETING SEASON, SO CHECK OUR CALENDAR
The corn is in and the tomatoes canned. That can only mean one thing: the meeting season has officially begun. For the latest on meetings, field days and other activities, check out http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/index-calendar.html.
7) CSP: TELL CONGRESS TO FULLY FUND IT
The next phase of the Conservation Security Program (CSP) is beginning, and it's a good time to contact Congress about the need to fully fund this innovative program. Go to http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/04/newsr_041112.html to learn how to get that message to our Senators and U.S. Representatives. In other CSP news, the 202 watersheds targeted for inclusion in the program in 2005
have been announced. For the link to the list of watersheds selected for CSP implementation and a national watershed map, visit LSP's CSP Web page at http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/programs_csp.html.
8) 'PROTECT OUR WATER' LEGISLATIVE MEETINGS
LSP is working with the Minnesota Environmental Partnership to coordinate a series of meetings with key legislative leaders from now until the end of January. These meetings will focus on the "Protect Our Water" 2005 legislative agenda, but there will be an opportunity to discuss other environmental issues as well. If you would like to participate in a meeting, contact LSP's Bobby
King at 507-523-3366 or bking@landstewardshipproject.org, Meetings will be held in several
districts, but as of this writing these are the four we have details on:
-Sen. Carrie Ruud (District 4)--Wednesday, December 1 at noon
(pre-meeting starts at 11:30 a.m.)
-Sen. Linda Scheid (District 46)--Saturday, Dec. 4 at 11 a.m.
(pre-meeting at 10:30 a.m.)
-Rep. Dennis Ozment (District 37B)--Tuesday, Nov. 30 at 7 p.m.
(pre-meeting starts at 6:30 p.m.)
-Rep. Steve Sviggum (District 28B)--Monday, Dec. 13 at 6:30 p.m.
(pre-meeting starts at 6 p.m.)
9) GIVE THE GIFT OF STEWARDSHIP
As you begin to think about your holiday gift buying, consider giving stewardship gifts in honor of your friends and family:
-Give a gift of hope to your loved ones, and to beginning farmers eager to make a living on the land.
-In the name of your favorite cooks, invest in work to produce more healthful food for our communities.
-Honor those active citizens in your life with a gift that empowers people to fight for family farms and the environment.
Make a donation to LSP of any size and we'll send your loved ones beautiful, personalized certificates notifying them of your gifts and giving them more information about the work your gift helps accomplish in their honor. With gifts of $35 or more, we will give them a one-year membership in LSP. With a gift of $50 or more, we'll also send them your choice of an LSP mug, hat or T-shirt. More
information is available at
http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/index-joinus-gift.html. You can print out an order form to mail in at
http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/gifts/gift_form.html, or do your holiday shopping securely on-line at https://www.applyweb.com/public/contribute?lspmemb.
10) FLAG JOB OPENING
Farmers' Legal Action Group (FLAG) is looking for an Executive Director. FLAG is a national nonprofit law firm dedicated to providing legal services to family farmers and their rural communities in order to
help keep family farmers on the land. LSP works closely with FLAG on various issues. For more information, visit http://www.flaginc.org/.
11) A FEW WORDS ON LOCAL FOOD
Before you recycle that Sunday (Nov. 21) Star Tribune, check the opinion section for an LSP commentary on Thanksgiving and local food.
12) EAT WELL GUIDE
Speaking of local food, the Eat Well Guide (http://www.eatwellguide.org) is a free, online directory of sustainable meat, poultry, dairy and eggs. As a partner organization with the Eat Well Guide, LSP has submitted names of meat, poultry, dairy and egg producers that are on our Stewardship Food Network List, in the Pride of the Prairie
directory, or are certified by the Food Alliance Midwest. You can update your farm's listing on the Eat Well Guide by searching under "Advanced Search," and typing your farm's name under "Keywords." Once you find your record, click the link to "E-mail us if you see any errors or omissions with this entry." The Eat Well Guide also plans on e-mailing producers every
six months for any changes or updates. If your farm is not listed and you would like it to be, please contact Cathy at 651-653-0618 or cathye@landstewardshipproject.org.
13) WORTH REPEATING
"I was shocked when Gov. Pawlenty proposed weakening local government rights and environmental protections to help corporate ag interests. That's not why he got my vote. That is not what I value." --LSP member Lois Nash, who is featured in a new advertising campaign
(http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/04/newsr_041117.html)
14) WORTH REPEATING II
".trust freedom and free people to make the right choices for themselves." --journalist Alan Guebert, writing on the FoodRoutes Web site about LSP's work to protect local township government powers (http://www.foodroutes.org/fwissue.jsp?item=147)
15) JOIN LSP
The work of LSP, including the LIVE-WIRE, is supported by the donations of people like you. To become a member, give a gift membership, or donate an extra gift above your membership visit
http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/index-joinus.html. If you have questions about membership, contact cathye@landstewardshipproject.org.
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